Scott Steiner isn’t holding back when it comes to his time in WCW. In a new interview with Shaquille Mahjouri on Shak Wrestling for CBS Sports, the former World Heavyweight Champion pulled back the curtain on the backstage dysfunction that helped birth one of wrestling’s most intense personas.
“Politics is… I don’t know if it’s as big as it is as it was, so there’s a lot of guys being held back,” Steiner said, explaining how internal strife shaped the rise of “Big Poppa Pump.”
The tension wasn’t just behind the scenes—it was something Steiner channeled into his performances.
“I used to show up at Nitro on Mondays pissed off because I knew something stupid was going to happen,” he admitted.
“Every Monday on the Nitros… I never knew what was going to happen. And when I did find out, I’d be pissed off because it never made sense to me.”
That frustration didn’t go unnoticed by fans.
“I think my Big Poppa Pump resonated so much because people could tell I was pissed off—and I was actually pissed off,” he said.
The candid remarks add another layer to Steiner’s legacy, portraying him not just as a charismatic powerhouse, but as a product of an era where chaos ruled creative. In an industry built on characters, Steiner’s rage was all too real—and that’s what made it work.
